Books

Alan: I have to say, you are getting better all the time. Great stuff!

-- Woody Wilson

I've heard it suggested that since the "war on drugs" was so successful, we should declare a "war on education".

Hang in there Alan. You're our hero.

-- Charlie

I buy your books from you every year at the gun shows in Phoenix. I own several guns and I think your book is great. I recommend it to all my friends. Everyone always comes to me for questions about gun laws like I am an expert or something but I tell them I just get my info from reading your book and they need to get your book too.

Page Nine. It's great. Add me to your list.

-- Roy

I like the remark, "Lamestream media". So true.

-- Janie

I love the uninvited ombudsman =) i love that you, my father are such a creative and awesome guy who writes page nines, and thinks up this kind of stuff =) I love you daddy.

Alan, Thanks for your website and for all you do to support our Second Amendment rights!!!

-- Linda D

Alan: Read your latest issue. Very Interesting. At least you are telling it like it happens, not some weird version that Reporters come up with. And then turn around and call it reporting the issues. Keep up the Good Work and telling it the way it should be told.

-- Jim Paddock

A great Page Nine, Alan. On number 8, I wouldn't say the phrase "Republicans, ever wary of big government" is disparaging as much as it is untrue. But your point is still taken. The last thing about liberals and conservatives was particularly nice.

The current "war on terror" is simply a modern version of this scam against American freedom. Soviet communism was never a real threat to Americans because its ideas are so stupid they can't possibly work. As history bears out, the Soviets were decades behind the freer countries economically, and their idiotic system simply imploded because it sucked.

The current so-called threat to Americans from Islamic Fundamentalist Towelheadism is at least as bogus as the threat from Soviet communism. The idea of a stone-age theocracy conquering the planet and taking over the US is absurd.

-- Eric H.

Alan, You didn't 'exactly' say it but gangs are also a good way for the druggy drop-outs of the country to actually learn a lot of other 'skills' that they failed to acquire in public education - they learn; marketing, advertising, territory management, free-market pricing, financing, money laundering (oops) management, marksmanship, and legal aspects of business in a complex environment.

-- Gary Christensen

[Readers remarked about the climate-change story last issue:]

The BBC reported some weeks ago that roughly 40% of the "man-caused" CO2 for the year was being produced by forest fires started to clear land in Papaua-New Guinnea [sp?]. What they DIDN'T report was that the reason the land was being cleared was to produce supposedly cleaner "bio-diesel".

A few years ago, I looked into the matter a bit, and came up with this tidbit: the termites of the world produce more CO2 than is produced by the vehicles operated in the U.S.

-- Clark Jones, MENSA

Alan, I wondered if anyone else would come up with the idea that humans must be to blame for at least some of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere! In 1900 there were about 1.7 billion people in the world. Now there are more than 6.5 billion. Cheers to another fun Page Nine!

-- Geri

Q. Should we be concerned with human breathing as a source of CO2?

A. No. While people do exhale carbon dioxide (the rate is approximately 1 kg per day, and it depends strongly on the person's activity level), this carbon dioxide includes carbon that was originally taken out of the carbon dioxide in the air by plants through photosynthesis - whether you eat the plants directly or animals that eat the plants. Thus, there is a closed loop, with no net addition to the atmosphere. Of course, the agriculture, food processing, and marketing industries use energy (in many cases based on the combustion of fossil fuels), but their emissions of carbon dioxide are captured in our estimates as emissions from solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels. [RMC]

-- Paul Benneche

[Very useful, thanks. This raises questions though -- population was c. 1.5 billion in 1900, c. 6.5 billion now, are we to assume the plant cycles have simply paralleled human growth, and so the closed loop was always applicable? Defies common sense... by what mechanism does wild plant growth match human reproduction (knowing only a few percent of land is cultivated for plants for food)? Alan.]

The amount of CO2 emitted by human respiration (not including animal respiration) is approximately equal to that from worldwide auto use. The figures were given in a presentation at the Engineers Club of Dayton (Ohio) last week. However, I didn't bother remembering the numbers because they're irrelevant. Every atom of carbon exhaled by a human being or an animal can be traced back down the food chain to a plant that first took it out of the atmosphere. Human and animal emission of CO2 is a wash, when you take into account the absorption of CO2 by plant material that goes into the food chain. This doesn't mean I buy into the anthropogenic global warming idea, but I believe in keeping the numbers straight.

-- Joseph P. Martino

Dear Alan, Actually, the "main" greenhouse gas by volume is water vapor. Let's see them try to get rid of water ;-) Water vapor is anywhere from 0-4% of the atmoshpere, depending on local conditions. As CO2 accounts for about 0.036% (see http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7a.html), there is over 100 times as much water vapor in the air as there is carbon dioxide!

-- Jonathan Triggs, Lanham, MD

Dear Alan, I enjoy reading your Page Nine...I am a teacher with a master's degree in geography from ASU (specializing in climatology). I am ticked off with the current "Lamestream Media" reporting of global warming theory as fact! Your question about the amount of CO2 emitted by breathing interested me... From the wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide

"According to a study by the USDA, an average person's respiration generates approximately 450 liters (roughly 900 grams) of carbon dioxide per day." 1 billion people would exhale 900 million kilograms per day, or 328,725,000,000 kg per year. Therefore, if my calculations are correct, 1 billion people exhale about 21% of the amount of CO2 that the US emits. Multiplying out, the world population exhales about 144% of the US 1999 CO2 emissions each year.

In summary, while global emissions of CO2 by human activity is relatively high, the simple act of human breathing seems to be responsible for a large portion of the global CO2 concentration!

Caution...1 thing in my calculations that bothers me is the term "carbon equivalent." Perhaps I am not comparing apples to apples, but I don't have the time right now to verify my calculations.

-- Jonathan Triggs

Enjoyed the latest edition. The AP continues to amaze me. This reporting without inquiry….geesh.

-- Attorney Ken Hanson

Craig's pizza story was superb!

-- Gary Christensen

Government nutritionists would demand that pizza sauce be declared a vegetable, while nutrition activists from the Pizza Policy Center would demand an immediate and complete halt to all pizza sales forever.

-- C.D. Tavares

Alan, As usual thought provoking and anger provoking commentary on what passes for journalism in America.

-- Dmaneck

Alan, Thanks for the great info! I really enjoy reading your reports! Keep them coming! We have the worst gun laws in the country here in California, as you know. I don't know how much longer I can live here and put up with this garbage. Our elected officials on the federal level here do not represent us. Thanks for all you do!

-- Robert Funk

I very much appreciate all of your up-dates and will continue to spread them around. Have an incredible year.

-- Jana Lang

And thanks for putting out all these books -- they are great sources of information and I buy the Traveler's Guide every year.

Actually i'd like to thank you for all of the news and information regarding fire arms and the second amendment. Page nine is a great read and funny, too. I read it to my girlfriend and she gets a kick out of it every time. Also, thanks for the Vet remarks at the end. It is much appreciated. God bless America. And you.

-- Ricky Burgin

Alan: Thank you for your efforts in keeping the rest of us informed (the "national News" folks have certainly sold out). We enjoy your writing and are blessed to receive your new PAGE NINE alerts. Be Well.

-- D. Allen (Dutch) Shultis

You do great work and I for one appreciate it.

-- Doug Leach

The fact is, global warming is a fact. Here in Maine we are having winter after winter of record high temps. Today, for instance the sun is bright and warm, temp near 50. I'm 72 years old and I can tell you that the winters today are nothing like when I was a boy. Here it is January and the three inches of snow we had were gone the next day. Lately there have been some critters that were found only down south; Possums, Mockingbirds and Cardinals to name a few. It's obvious to anyone who doesn't have stock in the coal companies that global warming is a reality. I don't have to see it on TV to know that.

-- Kendall Morse

[Climate changes and global warming are not the same thing; numerous factors affect periodic shifts in weather; you remember 30 years ago when scientists warned of the coming ice age but now they mostly agree that was wrong; jury is still out on what and why weather is not always the same, and especially if we can do something that would "save the earth," especially with six billion people exhaling CO2, the main "greenhouse" gas, a point that is always overlooked in the rush to change the American economy. Alan.]

Alan, I think we are changing the climate via human activities. But short-term weather doesn't always reflect what long-term trends are, anymore than the changes that day-traders try to ride reflects what happens to a company's stock over a period of years. Different time scales, disconnected mostly. There's a saying "Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get".

-- Peter Wang, MS Geophysicist

[Humans may be a factor, but surely you recognize that Mt. Pinatubo erupting, or a 0.1% change in solar output, would make human effects insignificant, no? How well understood are decade-long shifts in climate? Not very. The main point is that the media now has an agenda, and they're running with it. Earth got cooler this year? Call it warming. They should be ashamed. Alan.]

Extra good edition, Alan; but do you ever get the feeling you are preaching to the choir? Actually, your column carried in all the newspapers is very, very good for the cause. These reach out to people who might not be aware of what is happening in their own country. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hannukah!

-- Lucas Graywolf

Counterintuitive Man has a great ring to it. :)

-- ann

Alan I would sure like to recieve your "page 9" I guess this is how I sign up?

The Uninvited Ombudsman asks: "should politicians who violate their oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution be removed from office or imprisoned?" BOTH

-- Pack Rat

Congratulations on adding Counterintuitive Man to Page Nine!

-- Charles Rozier, Accuracy in Media

Regarding Counterintuitive Man's comments on illegal immigration: Amen. Well written. Our political elite are not listening. They refuse to see what is happening to the divinely inspired nation, like no other. The majority are in violation of their Oath's of Office.

-- AZ State Rep. Russell Pearce

[Russell -- We're in total agreement. If there isn't a way to bring ONE person up on violation-of-oath charges then the oath means nothing. Who can be charged? Else -- point out the oath's TRAGIC worthlessness. Please say you have a candidate; He replies the charge would be impeachment, and politicians don't have the stones for it.]

[That was supposed to be humorous John. Of course there's sperm donation, but it's not clear what was done in Mary Cheney's case. The source has not been revealed, a wonderful step toward preservation of family values. Is there some "pure" form of lesbianism, which omits parenthood? Is a lesbian parent not exactly a lesbian? Maybe a loosebian? --Alan.]

Regarding Mark Foley's written notes: Actually, the truth is a bit more amusingly ironic. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 makes it a crime to discuss sexual acts with or solicit sex from anyone under the age of 18, using the Internet. This was signed into law on July 27, 2006: click here.

This law was written (in part) and sponsored by none other than... Mark Foley, who was present at the signing (at far right in picture): link.

I commented on this at my blog, pointing out that if he had had sex with the pages, he would not have been in violation of the law since the age of consent in D.C. is 16. But because he discussed sex with them and had "cybersex" with them using the Internet, he violated his own law (though I've seen nothing to indicate that he will be prosecuted). Link.
-- Jim Lippard, http://www.discord.org/

Hello Alan, While I appreciated your article on the often over zealous attention given to political correctness with the term queer or fag and that gay people use it like black people may use the word nig*er, I take exception to the attitude in your writing. I doubt you would have written something about the "N" word knowing there may be black people on this list. Well, there are gay people too reading this.

I can safely say that as a lesbian, we are the frequent victims of hate and I myself have been called foul disgusting things right to my face by straight young men and women of college age in public. So do I want to see these words used in print by straight people? NO! And it's about time we received equal consideration of hateful words.
Now with regards to #7 about Mary Cheney being pregnant, well, it seems heterosexual people know very little about the means utilized by lesbians to become pregnant.

As a lesbian, I write to tell you it is NOT impossible and there is plenty of information out and about on how to become pregnant without having physical heterosexual intercourse. Why even straight women use the same methods as some lesbians choose to take. This is not a secret neither it is a mystery nor an "immaculate conception".

This is rather upsetting to me as I do not need to read things putting down my sexual orientation. I've read it in Chris Cox's writing in American Rifleman and now here. Very, very disappointing.

-- Colleen
Member, NRA, NYSRPA, and HRC, GLAAD

[Colleen, It's supposed to be humorous -- of course a woman can get pregnant without a man doing the horizontal mambo or immaculate conception. Even I know that. And yes, blacks, gays and aliens (both kinds) read my columns. Readers who need sugar coating should stick to The New York Times.

This "victim of hate" thing is another matter. People are free to hate whatever they like (now THERE'S an oxymoron).
False jessejacksonesque "victimization" though is destroying the country... if someone hates me (and there actually are some such people), that doesn't make me a vicitm. And no just power on earth gives me the right (or ability) to control them from feeling however they wish. I've been called all sorts of stuff, so what, that's the attitude to adopt, IMHO.
Now if they ACT on that, and HARM me, that's another matter. But my pointing out the naked emperor of racism, sexism, news bias and the rest, this doesn't make you a vicitm or me a victimizer. Rely on your own thick skin, or you'll suffer all sorts of otherwise harmless slings and arrows. Don't fall for the radical notion that other people are responsible for you.

For a newspaper to deliberately hide the paternity of a child undercuts values that make for a stable society, and is not ethical reporting. What else should they hide to spare someone's trumped up feelings? The Uninvited Ombudsman cannot let such travesty slide.

Hollywood, the media and some political factions are proposing that fatherless, motherless, parentless, unmarried and single-parented child raising is all just fine and dandy and harmless, a proposal that deserves a bit more thought.
Thanks for caring enough to write. -- Alan]

[And Craig noted: Great reply, but her email to you explains one of the reasons why the mainstream media produces such bland grue l-- because they get hammered more by people who see themselves as victims than by those who don't.]

[And Colleen wrote back: Hi Alan, Thanks for emailing back. you are right, I need a thicker skin and did not take your commentary in the right light. I was fresh from reading another article sent to the NYC Pink Pistols Yahoo Group about folks with pistol licenses having their names published in a newspaper just because they had the licenses. Between emailing that reporter and reading your article I should have lightened up! Happy Holidays!]

Alan, I have no doubt that Rummy was sacked for political as much as operational reasons, but if Dubya had done so a couple months earlier maybe he would've avoided the worst of the disastrous midterms.

-- Barrett Tillman

Alan, The NSA has probably assigned a satellite to you by now.

-- Jerry Catania, GUN WORLD

Alan, Thanks for all page 9s. This one is especially great and thanks for including Craig Cantoni. I will single out one item. There is no "consequence" for politicians for violating their oath of office.

-- George Rowe

If it really is too late for a solution, and emigration is the most
practical option, what countries lack the "time-bomb" and are high on the list for personal freedom? In my casual search, Switzerland seemed the only place that was reasonably hospitable in this regard, and their freedoms continue to erode as liberals in THEIR government succumb to pressures from the EU. So Switzerland might only provide a temporary solution. Another alternative, of course, would be to "convert" to radical Islam, emigrate to one of the many islamofascist dictatorships, and operate as a mercenary of sorts. Then, it would seem, one can do whatever the hell one wants, and get paid for it, with unlimited supplies of guns, ammo, food, women or goats, and other "pleasures"... provided one has no compunctions about murdering & torturing the innocents, etc. As I do speak some German, Switzerland would be my first choice ;-)

-- Dave Knight

Good again. Uncharacteristically, two typos.

-- Dave

Craig's article on the fallen officer doesn't even touch on the increased criminal sanctions that have been legislated for officers, teachers, and other 'government officials' when the offender knows or should have known their victim's role in life. Assaults on mere citizens are elevated to aggravated assault status on one of these. Of course, with 'hate speech' and other protected classes, it is clear that criminals will soon have open-season on adult white males by comparison.

-- Gary Christensen

Craig, Bravo. Guts and Intelligence; I like that.

-- Jerry Catania, GUN WORLD

[Thanks, Jerry. I got an email from a cop who said he found it objectionable, without explaining why a cop's death is more important. Craig.]

Alan, We will not be thrown out of our own home, our own land by those who invaded our continent. We will not allow the thieves (of the wealth of resources of our continent) to call us thieves. We will not allow the foreign illegal occupiers of our continent to call us foreigners, "illegals", "aliens". We will not allow our people to be newly terrorized by Europeans (Europeans like Schwarzennegger or Sensenbrenner) or the racist European descendants of the people who committed all these monstrous crimes against our people.

How dare these racists Europeans, these illegal occupiers of our continent, these beneficiaries of genocide, slavery, massacres, biological warfare, and countless other savage crimes, challenge our rights, as the Nican Tlaca, Indigenous people this continent, to move to any part of this our continent. The monstrous gall of these racists, these spiritual sons and daughters of Hitler, to challenge any of our people's right to exist on any part of this continent.

-- Carlos Zapata

[Your points are very well taken Carlos. Since everyone has taken from someone else at some point, it comes down to first come first served, and possession is 99% of the law. Then it is a struggle for power. Some world we live in, eh? Alan.]

A brief comment. I just returned from Argentina. We are so spoiled in our country. And I have experienced a similar mind set in other countries I have visited. The Argentines believe that our NRA is one of the most wonderful organizations that a country can have. They are in fear of their gun rights being trampled and only wish they had an NRA to fight for them. They do have a constitutional provision similar in some ways to our 2nd Amend. but their politicians, like a great many of ours, claim it is only for the militia/army purposes. There are also many NRA member there. They cannot understand how so many in our country who shoot and hunt and own firearms are not members.

-- Bill Berlat

Hi Alan, good as usual, but you might want to clarify that it is "Franks, Barney" as opposed to "Franks, Trent." Bread and circus? Yes, sad but all too true.

-- Landis

Alan, you said, "d) President Bush will have to use his unused veto power." Oops, you missed it by three months.

-- C.D.

[You're right, should have said his once-used veto power.]

We are privileged to carry this insightful analysis of current news. It is very popular with our readers, judging from the traffic statistics.

-- Nancy Mathis, American Daughter

As usual, thanks for all that you do for the rights of, and the education of, citizens for their RKBA, and setting the reports right from the lamestream media. It is a good return to the use of, and high regard for, the rights of the citizen. It is, again, thanks to the efforts of citizens like you, advocating, and helping to restore, the belief in the US Constitution, and the rights of the people contained therein.

-- Jerry B. Coleman

Good morning, Alan -- I am a new subscriber to your newsletter via exposure through Buckeye Firearms Assoc., for whom I am a Volunteer Writer, Northwest Ohio. LOVE your site AND insight.

-- Bob Harsanje

Hi Alan: It's refreshing - and encouraging - to hear someone else articulate what I've thought for a long time now, that the State considers a police officer's life worth more than mine. They can wear guns to protect themselves in places I can't. They can shoot me dead if they're in fear for their lives, but if Mr. Fish shoots a crazy man running at him after two gracious warning shots are fired, he goes to prison [refers to a Prescott school teacher victimized by the system].

The press here seems like the State-run press in a repressive country. Don't know if that's a mind set or simply lazy reporters printing the garbage police PR departments squeeze out. Or both. Anyway, thanks. Like finding a software bug, now I know it's not just me who sees the problem.

-- Mike Palmer

We give voice to different perspectives, and yours is very welcome and well thought out. Our first print edition hits the streets in December.

-- Art Merrill, Editor

As a police officer with over 30 years of service (and still going), I find people who write articles like the one Mr. Cantoni wrote in your e mail quite objectionable. Please immediately remove me from your mail list. I was certainly dismayed to see you spread that one.

[Reply: I'll delete you of course, and I understand how you find his message objectionable. But he's right, you know. Plus, if this officer had followed the law, he would not have ended up killing himself. Alan.]

Hi Alan. Cantoni is on target, propaganda funerals were perfected by the 3rd reich.

-- Landis

Craig -- Great article, I look forward to seeing more of your writing in Page 9! I'll call you a clear-thinker :-) Thanks.

-- Peter

Thanks for another great page 9.

-- Dick

Dear Alan, this is old cop Jack McLamb writing to tell you that I would love to get your page 9 on my e-mail so that I can use it on my 11 weekly radio talk shows, three networks - called - The Officer Jack McLamb Program. I will, of course, give your contact information when I use your reports to my audiences.

Thank you for all your years of effort on behalf of all Americans and the Republic. You're an American hero brother Alan!! - Lord bless,

-- Jack McLamb

[Permission gladly granted]

mr. cantoni: thank you for the article that i read on the page nine newsletter. there is much made of heroes today, both in the civilian sector and the military one.

people in public service, who die in that in that service, whether from their own actions or the action of others, are most often declared "heroes". you article clearly debunks this mislead way of thinking.

to simply die in the performance of your duty does not automatically make one a hero. heroes do something exemplary in the course of their deaths.

i am glad that you have tried to make this point clear. i have become tired of the mainstream media's continuing use of the word hero. it has surely lost it's meaning for me, as i am sure it has for many.

i respect the heroic actions of some, that the result of the action results in their deaths. they are the true heroes.

thank you again for your article.

-- captain d. scully

Dear Mr. Cantoni:
I could not agree with you more.

What bothers me more is the fact that when there is a funeral for one of these "fallen heroes" that any and all cops are allowed to attend on the taxpayers dole. They should be allowed to attend only if they do it on their own time and not in police cars that WE all pay for.

But I would not dare broach this subject to any police department for fear of reprisals.

You are right in the reporting that cops get a very great pension, medical benefits and many other things that us ordinary citizens do do not get. I have even had the temerity to complain to the Arizona Legislature. They only say that cops and firefighters have a BETTER lobby. Oh, isn't that great!

-- Tim

Alan, The murders,rapes in Dafur are the New Holocaust carried out by Muslims...Is the world silent like the One in the 30s and 40s???

-- Leonard Mandel

I really enjoy what you write.

-- Jason

Thanks for all your great work!!

-- Rick Fedourich

Dear Alan, You do a very nice job with your newsletter.

Please sign me up for Page 9. Thanks for telling us what is really going on. May God bless you and keep you.

-- Gerald

I loved your article on the media overkill of a police officer. i do think there are truly some great police officers who deserve the hero lable; but the media and a whole lot of other people treat them as heroes whenever they die, whether they were saving someone or got into a drunk driving accident.

I'm glad to see SOMEONE who can see the truth behind the media curtain, thank you.

-- Nate Elliott

Alan: Just a quicky. I am flabergasted by the use of the word "commemorate" in describing the activities that memorialize the souls that gave their lives because of the actions of terrorists. A memorial is fine, and those victims should be memorialized. "Commemorate" is too close to "celebrate" and 9/11 should not be a day of celebration. Thanks Alan. God bless you!

-- Charlie Rensing

Alan, For what it's worth my ISP, Sovernet did not block Page Nine #15, and the "N word." Like you I find the selective indignation over its use annoying when leftist/liberal politicians get a pass on using it while others are castigated for ever, even years ago, having used it. It also irritates me that the like of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton get a pass for their frequent use of ethnic slurs against white minority groups. Another media "offender" by the way is the Cartoon Channel in its "Boondocks" programme where "that word" is a constant drumbeat throughout the show.

-- David Schnyer

I'm glad that you aren't niggardly with your time.

-- Dave Headstream

Too right! F**k the demo-communists! F**k Charles Schumer! F**k the ATF and the crippled bi*ch that sent them to WACO. And God bless America and f**k every last illegal alien! Any questions?

-- Craig, Attorney at Law

We have been posting your column at www.americandaughter.com. American Daughter and it is very popular with our readers. It was suggested to us at the time of your very first column by two members of the NRA Board of Directors who also write for us, Budd Schroeder and Jay Printz.

Back in February, you approved our publication of your material with attribution. Now that you have your own weblog, we will reference that URL as well as giving attribution.

-- Nancy Matthis, Editor, American Daughter

A friend forwarded your "page nine" article about the "Minutemen Stirring Up More Dust." I have copied it, saved it and am forwarding it on for others to read.

I have not yet had opportunity to visit the web sites you list at the conclusion of your post, however I plan to investigate further. I am licensed with Concealed Carry license, and while being a retired ordained minister, I am also a patriot and believe in defending the 2nd Amendment and I heartily commend you and the other Minutemen for "doing SOMETHING!"

-- Jess Dixon, Bakersfield, CA
[Note: "Lamestream" is a word I got from Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman effort, and he doesn't recall where he got it from, but thanks to everyone who has credited me for the word, I'm just its promoter. For those of you who "just want to DO something," see my Tactics That work pages.

Thank you !!! And keep up the great work your doing. Knowledge is power !!!! Thank you again.

About the Author

Freelance writer Alan Korwin is a founder and past president of the Arizona Book Publishing Association. With his wife Cheryl he operates Bloomfield Press, the largest producer and distributor of gun-law books in the country. Here writing as "The Uninvited Ombudsman," Alan covers the day's stories as they ought to read. Read more.